Self-defense shooting device



April 7, 3925.

w. H.'BA. :H

SELF DEFENSE SHOOTING DEVICE Filed June 23 1924 April 7, 1925. I 1 532 859 W. H. BALCH SELF DEFENSE SHOOTING DEVICE Patented Apr. 7, 19 25.

WILLIAM H. BALCH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SELF-DEFENSE snoorme DEVICE.

Application filed June 23, 1924. Serial No. 721,797.

in response to the demand of hold-up men;

which may be actuated to fire from the front or rear of the user; inwhich the charge is ignited by electricity, and which will fit neatl around the body of the user under the clothing and thereby escape observation.

These objects, and other advantageous ends which will be described hereinafter, I attain in the following manner, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings in which-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device constructed in accordance with my invention illustrating the same as attached to a person and in inoperative position.

Figure 2 view similar to Fi re 1 but illustrating the device in operatlve position,

Figure 3 a front view of the device with the door open,

Figure 4 a section on line of Figure Figure 5 a section on line 5-5 of Figure 3 with the door closed, and

Figure 6 an enlarged section taken on line 6-45 of Figure 3 with the door closed.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a pair of housings made of suitable insulating material which contain shooting apparatus of similar construction 2 straps secured to the housings for attaching them to the body of the user and '3 the controlling means, for the shooting apparatus, attached to the arms of the user.

The shooting apparatus consists of a fire arm 4:, a s ark coil 5 electrically connected with the connected with the spark coil and a circuitmaking and breaking member 7 rotatably mounted in the housing and electrically connected with the battery and spark coil to make and break a circuit. Controlling rearm, a battery'li electrically means 3 are connected with this circuit-making and breaking member.

The fire arm 4 preferably consists of a casing 8 provided with a plurality of chambers 9 for receiving explosive charges 10: and projectiles 11. A. pair of electrodes 12 and 13 are disposed in each chamber. Electrodes 12 are electrically connected with one pole 14 of the secondary in spark coil 5 by a wire 15 and easing 8. Electrodes 13 are insulated from casing 8 in any suitable manner and electrically connected with the other pole 16 of the secondary by a Wire 17 and metallic strip 18. Fire arm 4 is secured to the housing by screws or otherwise. pole 19 of the primary in spark coil 5 is connected with a contact 20 secured to the insulated housing 1. The other pole 21 of the primary is connected to one end of battery 6. The other end of the battery is connected with a contacting finger 22 by a. wire 23, casing 8, a bracket 24 onthecasing and a pulley. 25'rotatably mounted on a pin fixed to the bracket. Finger 22 is normally held out of engagement with contact 20 by a spiral spring'26 having one endsecured at 27 to the pulley and the other end at 28 to the pin. Astop pin 29 is preferably provided for limiting the movement of finger 22.

'The controllingmeans for rotating pulley One 25 consists of a cord 30 having one end passing through housing land connected with the pulley 25 and the other end connected,

with a strap 31 which is attached to an arm of the user. A door 32 hinged to housing 1 encloses the. apparatus and is provided with a air of holes 33 through which the rojecti es pass when discharged from the re arm. 4

To use the devices they are attached to the body by straps 2. The controlling means 3 of the front device are attached to the right arm and of the rear device to the left arm asshown in Fi re 1. If the user is approached by a hol -up man from the rear and is ordered to throw up his hands, the left hand is raised higher than the right to actuate the rear device. If approached from the front the right hand is raised higher to actuate, the front device. When the arm is raised a suficient distance to cause cord 30 to rotate pulley 25 to bring finger 22 in engagement with contact 20 a circuit will be completed through spark coil 5 and battery 6. A secondary current induced in the spark coil creates a spark at the gap between the electrodes which ignites the explosive cliarge and thereby discharges the projecti es. i

A device constructed as above set forth may be neatly placed around the body of th user without bulging the clothing and thereby escape observation. The device may be operated to shoot from the front or rear by simply raising one hand above the other.

While I have described my invention as taking a particular form, it Will be understood that the various parts may be changed Without departing from the spirit thereof, and hence I do not limit myself to the precise construction set forth, but consider that I am at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly come Within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A shooting device including a support; a battery mounted thereon; a fire arm mounted thereon; a pulley rotatably mounted thereon a contact finger carried thereby, and controlling means for rotating the pulley to bring the finger into engagement with the connections from the spark coil and battery to complete a circuit therethrough for actuating the fire arm.

2. A shooting device including a su port; a battery mounted thereon; a spar coil mountedthereon; a fire arm mounted thereon; a pulley rotatably mounted thereon; a

contact finger carried thereby; resilient means for keeping the pulley in inoperative position, and controlling means for rotating the pulley against the action of the resilient means to bring the contact finger into enengagement with the connections from the spark coil and battery for actuating the fire arm.

3. A shooting device including a pair of housings; straps connecting the housings for attaching them to the body of the user; fire arms mounted in each housing; controlling means connected with the fire arm in one housing and adapted to be attached to one arm of the user, and controlling means connected with the fire arm of the other housing and adapted to be attached to the other arm of the user, the fire arms being actuated by raising the arms of the user.

In testimony whereof I signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BALCH.

Witnesses ELIZABETH. GARBE; CHAs. E. Paris. 

